Kit Harington will star in a new BBC One drama playing his own ancestor, one of the men behind the infamous Gunpowder Plot.
The series, entitled Gunpowder, has been described as being filled with “murder, intrigue, fireworks, and not a dragon in sight,” despite the presence of Harington, who has become infamous for his role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. Of course, while Game of Thrones is based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, which are in turn inspired by the War of the Roses, Harington’s new role will also be influenced by history, but in a much more personal way.
Apparently, Harington is an actual direct descendent of Robert Catesby, the mind behind the entire Gunpowder Plot, despite Guy Fawkes receiving most of the historical recognition. (Harrington’s actual name is Christopher Catesby Harington.) Catesby was inspired by the religious turmoil prevalent in England to take action against King James I, who had made it illegal to practice Catholicism. While Catesby was the mind behind the plot, Guy Fawkes was actually captured in a cellar, surrounded by barrels of gunpowder, and so became the face of the entire treasonous conspiracy.
Harington, in an interview with Front Row, discussed the role. “It’s been a family curiosity for as long as I can remember. Mum used to say ‘Robert Catesby was the leader of the gunpowder plot’ and not many people know that,” he said. “If you asked someone on the street they’d know the name Guy Fawkes. They know that barrels of gunpowder were put underneath parliament. They know the rhyme ‘remember, remember the 5th November’ but that’s pretty much all they know.”
The entire project actually arose by Harington’s own hand, after he became convinced the story deserved some type of dramatization. His friend Daniel West assisted with realizing the idea, and they sought the help of writer Ronan Bennett. Bennett brought his own historical expertise to the project, stressing the importance of historical accuracy.
Harington is an executive producer on the series, which airs on Saturdays on BBC One.
If you love Halloween, The Walking Dead and coffee, Starbucks has the perfect drink for you.
The coffee chain announced it’s Zombie Frappuccino Thursday. It’s available in the United States and Canada through October 31 while supplies last.
“When brainstorming a new Frappuccino flavor for this Halloween, we started by thinking about a Halloween party and monster mash,” said Jennica Robinson, who’s on the Starbucks beverage development team. “We had already invited Frankenstein and vampires to the party, so we came up with another monster that could join the bash.”
According to their website The Zombie Frappuccino blended beverage is a chilling concoction of green caramel apple, a drizzle of dark mocha, and pinkish whip.
Price ranges from$4.75-$4.95, depending on the market.
While everyone agreed The Unicorn Frappuccino was an epic fail, reviews about the new frap have been mixed.
Keeping the Halloween theme going Starbucks is also selling a Mummy Cake Pop, a vanilla cake Birthday Cake Pop with bandages, and a Day of the Dead Cookie that looks like a skeleton.
Did you try the Zombie Frappuccino? Leave your thoughts on it in the comments!
Justice Leaguehits theaters on November 18th, and with it comes Justice League Day. A day celebrating the film’s release, when fans can enter in sweepstakes, receive discounts, and more. However, if you and your kids want to enjoy some league fun early you now can. As DC Comics has released an all-new free activity book.
The book consists of hidden jokes and hints of other things available in products from those partnering with DC for the special day. As part of the partnership, DC has also released a guide containing the many Justice League-themed products you can purchase. Both books are available for free as downloadable PDF files on DC’s website.
Most of the time, when Tom Hanks joins a project it’s good news. He will star in this year’s Awards season hopeful, Steven Spielberg’s The Post, and it looks like he will follow that up with a sci-fi drama called Bios.
Bios, which will be directed by Game of Thrones helmer Miguel Sapochnik and written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, who produced Ridley Scott’s The Duellists, Alien, and Blade Runner. According to the Variety report, Bios “follows a robot that lives on a post-apocalyptic earth. Built to protect the life of his dying creator’s beloved dog, it learns about love, friendship, and the meaning of human life. Hanks will play the ailing creator.”
Sounds like it could be cool, but it sounds like it could detour into schlock pretty easily too, with a robot learning about feelings and whatnot. The spec screenplay has been a hot commodity for a while though, and in Tom Hanks we trust. Even though, well, we last saw him in that Silicon Valley thriller that showed up on the scene about five years too late, The Circle. Remember that one? Yeah, neither does anyone else. Nobody’s perfect.
Stay tuned for more updates on Bios when they become available.
As we enter a new era of Marvel Comics, I’ll be providing a weekly report on all Legacy titles. Your one-stop guide to what’s going on in the 616 universe from MFR’s resident Marvel fan. Above you’ll see Marvel’s report card for the week, then below we’ll dive into each book. Let’s dig in!
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Amazing Spider-Man #790 “Fall Of Parker” Part Two
Parker Industries is done and to cover all the lawsuits, Peter and Harry have to sell everything the company had. This includes the Baxter Building, which of course doesn’t sit right with Johnny Storm. Spidey promised him the building “would always belong to the FF” and clearly can’t back it up.
Back when Human Torch learned that Pete had bought the Baxter Building for PI, they fought about it. Now he’s finding out it’s getting sold, so they fight about it again. Anyone who stuck with the title throughout the past two years will likely find this a bit lame and familiar. Other than the fight, seeing the Parker Industries fallout is an entertaining read.
The fight provides enough of a distraction for disgruntled ex-employee/supervillain, Clash, to steal back his tech before it’s sold. His moronic henchmen activate some scientific equipment that will take the building down unless they all work together. What began as a retread of a previous fight ends up being a fantastically fun superhero collaboration.
With the public hatred aimed at Peter Parker for a change, the city is enthralled with Spider-Man. Seeing Spidey carrying an old lady’s groceries, taking pictures, and jumping rope with kids in a park is hilarious.
Regardless of how you feel about Dan Slott’s long tenure as Spider-Scribe, Stuart Immonen has undoubtedly been one of the strongest Spidey artists of the last decade. He makes the web-slinger sing, even with a dumb glowing spider symbol. Immonen gets to draw the classic costume again and its dazzling.
America #8 “Exterminatrix” Part One
America Chavez is a lower-tier, fan-favorite character that recently had a resurgence leading the Ultimates team. Her first solo got off to a slower start than fans would have liked, Legacy provides the title with an opportunity to gain some major traction.
Ms. Chavez is a firecracker, one of the things I didn’t love about this series coming straight from Ultimates was her voice. Gabby Rivera has developed her grasp on Chavez and is now taking her to an all-new level as her stubborn, youthful attitude gives her plenty of opportunity to overcome adversity and grow.
Visually, the book has seemed to find its groove as well. Through deep colors and simplistic design, Joe Quinones and Jordan Gibson are delivering a different and stylized take on intergalactic space school.
The biggest appeal of this series is that it feels fresh and takes us to a setting we haven’t explored much. America proves there are still places in the Marvel universe to visit and does so with the perfect character. America Chavez should have no problem solidifying a permanent fan base with this ongoing series if it continues to stick to its guns.
Black Panther #166 “Klaw Stands Supreme” Part One
Ta-Nehisi Coates continues breathing life into the fictional nation of Wakanda. Real world politics and seriousness blended into a ridiculous superhero landscape, this next chapter gets off to an impressive start. Coates fits Klaw into this world effortlessly without losing the lunacy of his nature.
It’s hard not to share a sense of “classic” Marvel when Klaw appears with a thunderous and deadly entrance. Over-the-top mad scientists, with a team of equally diabolical geniuses at their disposal, are a staple of Marvel villainy. Coates is clearly having fun writing Klaw, diving deep into the core of his insanity.
T’Challa doesn’t even appear until the final page of this issue, it’s all about the return of the “sound god” Ulysses Klaw. For good measure too, this installment effectively ramps up excitement for the noise that’s come to Wakanda and his eventual showdown with Black Panther. It’s also a great entry point for readers not already subscribed to Coates’ Wakandan adventures.
Despicable Deadpool #288 “Deadpool Kills Cable” Part Two
Deadpool wields Cable’s metal arm to chase him through time, ultimately resulting in a time cop prison blood bath. Chapter two is a quick read, reminiscent of the good times Cable And Deadpool provided years ago. Even with these two facing off each other, their chemistry is infectious.
Gerry Duggan is letting loose, effectively marrying Deadpool’s Looney Tunes mentality with Cable’s all-too-serious time travel nonsense. If these two issues are any indication, Despicable Deadpool should be the best Deadpool book on shelves filled with too many of them. Duggan is capable of making Wade Wilson funny without going overboard or stuffing too many jokes in.
Scott Koblish and Nick Filardi unleash a thrilling mess of carnage and murder, exactly what readers want from Deadpool. With Cable reclaiming his arm, avatar Deadpool is already no more. I look forward to more gags like this going forward, this creative team might be able to poke fun at other characters without falling into the same stale cliches past teams have.
Hopefully Duggan and company explore even more of the despicable going forward. With so many Deadpool Vs. comics out there, Despicable Deadpool is proving that just pairing him with Cable is always the best course to take.
Jean Grey #8 “Psych Wars” Part One
Jean has been proactively layering her defenses against the inevitable arrival of the Phoenix Force. Her preparation has seen her collaborate with previous Phoenix hosts and warriors knowledgeable of cosmic threats. Now she seeks
This subconscious psychic landscape Jean finds herself in is compelling, especially being that it’s within Emma Frost’s head. Using older Jean to infiltrate Emma’s head to assist young Jean is a genius comic book component. Emma and Jean’s checkered history has always been one of the most fascinating in all of X-Men comics.
Jean’s banter with her older self is a joy. Getting her younger self’s reaction to all the crazy happenings of Morrison’s run is beyond amusing. Dennis Hopeless has been making the most, and more, out of this particularly strange situation for Jean Grey.
As someone who holds Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run in very high regard, to tastfeully revisit that era is extremely pleasing. Victor Ibáñez’s take on Frank Quietly creations from the run is delightful.
This is a sandbox with so much to play with inside, the opportunity isn’t squandered by writer or artist. Jean Grey was one of the strongest X-Men titles before Marvel Legacy, there’s no reason to believe it won’t continue shining as bright. The approaching Phoenix spells even more thrills on the way.
Captain Marvel #125 “Dark Origin” Part One
Carol Danvers is one of the characters most in need of a Marvel Legacy makeover. Ever since her Civil War II character assassination, she’s been nothing but a one-note disappointment. With her MCU debut on the horizon, it’s crucial that Marvel turns her comic book presence around.
Captain Marvel’s unification with Alpha Flight was one of the best things about her pre-CWII series. They function so well as a team, having them back at the center of attention alongside Carol is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately the Alpha Cadets are also sticking around, they’re dead weight dragging this book down.
Captain Marvel #125 feels a bit behind the rest of Marvel Legacy. Everything else is quickly moving on to greater things while here we’re still stuck on Secret Empire. This suffers from the same issues Guardians Of The Galaxy had when the team was “grounded” a while ago. Space adventures happen in space, we see Carol on earth enough, not often enough among the stars.
This may not be the fresh start some of us were looking for, but it’s not a lost cause. The art is sharp and almost warrants a read completely on its own. The main cast isn’t poorly written, it’s just not an interesting story they’re currently in. Hopefully the Alpha Cadets get left behind and Alpha Flight takes their services back into space sooner than later.
X-Men: Blue #14 “Mojo Worldwide” Part Four
Chapter four of the X-Men: Blue/Gold crossover sees Longshot takeover, leading his large band of mutants against Mojo. Having him back in X-Men comics is wonderful, especially having him almost entirely unchanged or modernized.
There are so many vibrant X-Men and enemies loaded into almost every page that the book explodes with color. Matt Milla is one of the most prominent color artists in comic books currently, this book is a true testament to that. Milla perfectly accents Jorge Molina’s pencils.
Even when the action is clearly setting up future X-Men plots, it’s subtle and doesn’t take away from the fun we’re having here and now. At points, this is just a beautifully rendered history lesson; at other points, it’s a cheap excuse to get all of our favorite X-Men together. Either way, it’s a satisfying blockbuster story well worth your time.
U.S.Avengers #11 “Cannonball Run” Part One
Al Ewing’s “GI JOE Avengers” don’t get enough credit. U.S.Avengers has quietly been an over-the-top superhero-team book featuring a splendid mix of fan-favorite characters old and new. With a fresh start in Marvel Legacy, Ewing vows to jump off the deep end and get weird.
Cannonball finds himself on a strange planet where everybody is forced to pretend they make up a small town in 1950s America. Meanwhile, Sunspot and Smasher are following Cannonball’s energy signature across space and find themselves in equally puzzling trouble.
Nobody does cosmic adventures like Al Ewing, to see him take a deep dive into a more strange direction is intriguing to say the least. The Archie-esque production these mysterious aliens are forced to put on shows a silly side of Ewing that we have yet to see.
U.S.Avengers may not stick around forever, but it’s going to provide nothing but fun while it still can. The continuing adult progressions of Cannonball and Sunspot never tire. Red Hulk is one of the best newer characters that the internet claims Marvel has none of. Jump onto this series now before it’s gone!
All-New Wolverine #26 “Orphans Of X” Part Two
Daken finds a way to escape the Hostel torture situation he’s in, while Beast helps Laura and Gabby prove their mother is who she says she is. Another Laura look-alike enters the scene as Daken learns more about his mutant hating cult captors on his way out the door.
Writer Tom Taylor has made Laura into one of the coolest heroes at Marvel, this series has been consistently thrilling. He’s also given her one of the best supporting casts in comic books, and they’re mostly his creations. Adding Daken and some of Laura’s other allies only makes this book even stronger.
From the torture chamber to the front yard bullet storm, All-New Wolverine #26 is action-packed. We still don’t know much about these anti-mutant nut-jobs, but they mean business. It’s great to see Daken getting some prominent use as a character, and in a story that he really shines in.
Juann Cabal’s art is spectacular, it’s gruesome and detailed without overdoing anything. Even with three characters in this issue all basically being the same person, it never gets confusing. It kind of looks like if Jon Davis-Hunt did X-Men comics, which is extremely high praise.
This continues to be one of the strongest books currently at Marvel, Tom Taylor and company are clearly up to the challenge of ramping things up for Legacy.
What were your favorites from this week of Marvel Legacy? Be sure to check back next week for another healthy installment of Marvel Legacy Report!
Hulu wants its piece of the superhero pie, and they picked a perfect group of outcasts to debut with. Marvel TV and Hulu released the official trailer for Marvel’s Runaways’ Thursday afternoon.
The first three episodes of the 10-episode season will hit Hulu Tuesday, November 21.
Watch the trailer below.
About the show: Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe – their parents.
‘Marvel’s Runaways’ stars Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Annie Wersching, Ryan Sands, Angel Parker, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Kevin Weisman, Brigid Brannah, James Yaegashi, Brittany Ishibashi, Kip Pardue, and Julian McMahon.
The Runaways was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.
Monkeys Fighting Robots review of the first four episode drops Wednesday, November 1.
What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited for the show? Comment below.
Austin Powers Halloween masks may be hard to come by right now.
The masks have sold out at several sites, including Amazon and eBay. And it’s all thanks to a scene from Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver.
In the scene, Baby (Ansel Elgort) is getting ready to help a trio of robbers before a heist. One of the robbers pulls out the masks they are going to use for the job. Instead of Michael Myers masks—you know, from the Halloween movies—he pulls out Austin Powers masks, the character played by actor Mike Myers.
The innocent mix-up has caused Austin Powers masks to sell like crazy.
The news, it seems, doesn’t surprise Wright.
“I’m very proud. I feel like through my career, I have given people some very easy Halloween costumers, like Shaun in Shaun of the Dead,” Wright told The Hollywood Reporter. “I even mentioned to Warner Bros. [which released Austin Powers under New Line Cinema] that they may ship a lot of masks at Halloween, and I think that’s exactly what’s happened.”
Baby Driver became a summer blockbuster, earning $108 million domestically.
Netflix’s Mudbound has been collecting rave reviews for months now, as it made its way around the festival circuit. This second trailer will show you why.
The intense examination of the American south in the middle of the 20th century has an all-star cast and what looks to be an impressive scope. See for yourself:
Masterful filmmaker Dee Rees vividly captures the 1940s American South in the film Mudbound, based on the international bestselling novel by Hillary Jordan. The film, an adaptation co-written by Virgil Williams and Rees, is the timeless and timely story of two families – one black, one white – bound together by the farmland of the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow era.
A powerful ensemble cast including Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan portray the richly nuanced relationships between the McAllans and the Jacksons.
Rees commands a team of top craftspeople including a remarkable roster of female department heads – including cinematographer Rachel Morrison, editor Mako Kamitsuna, composer Tamar-kali, Oscar® nominee sound engineer Pud Cusack and makeup department head Angie Wells – to bring the past into the present and shine a light on a chapter of American history rarely seen on screen before.
Mudbound has gotten enough buzz to get a small theatrical release, a nice way for these Netflix films to work around the archaic Academy rules and vie for Oscar nominations. The cast is incredible, and the subject matter feels depressingly timely. It will debut on Netflix November 17.
Boom! Studios released an exclusive five-page preview of Adventure Time #70 to Monkeys Fighting Robots Thursday morning.
The book is written by Kevin Cannon, with art by Joey McCormick, colors by Maarta Laiho, and Mike Fiorentino handled letters. The main cover is by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb, with the subscription cover by Joey McCormick
Issue 70 is the beginning of a new story arc. Double Troubles, Part 1 of 4! Finn and Jake take the day off from adventuring to enjoy a new carnival, where a witch offers to make them free doubles—twice the Finn and Jake fun!
Check out the five-page preview below:
Adventure Time #70 hits your local comic book shop on November 1.
Are you reading Adventure Time? Give us your review in the comment section below.
The track is titled “Hero’s Theme” and gives us our first idea of what Elfman’s Justice League score will sound like when the film is released. If you listen closely, you can even hear hints of Elfman’s classic Batman theme, which many fans will surely want to geek out over.
Listen to the theme below:
The full tracklist for Elfman’s Justice League score has also been released, but I wouldn’t look at it if you want to stay 100% spoiler-free for the film.
